Epigenetics and muscle dysfunction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common, preventable, and treatable disease and a major leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In COPD, comorbidities, acute exacerbations, and systemic manifestations negatively influence disease severity and progression regardless of the respiratory condition. Skeletal muscle dysfunction, which is one of the commonest systemic manifestations in patients with COPD, has a tremendous impact on their exercise capacity and quality of life. Several pathophysiological and molecular underlying mechanisms including epigenetics (the process whereby gene expression is regulated by heritable mechanisms that do not affect DNA sequence) have been shown to participate in the etiology of COPD muscle dysfunction. The epigenetic modifications identified so far in cells include DNA methylation, histone acetylation and methylation, and noncoding RNAs such as microRNAs. Herein, we first review the role of epigenetic mechanisms in muscle development and adaptation to environmental factors in several models. Moreover, the epigenetic events reported so far to be potentially involved in muscle dysfunction and mass loss of patients with COPD are also discussed. Furthermore, the different expression profile of several muscle-enriched microRNAs in the diaphragm and vastus lateralis muscles of patients with COPD are also reviewed from results recently obtained in our group. The role of protein hyperacetylation in enhanced muscle protein catabolism of limb muscles is also discussed. Future research should focus on the full elucidation of the triggers of epigenetic mechanisms and their specific downstream biological pathways in COPD muscle dysfunction and wasting.